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The State of Missouri’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) provides communities with resources to address a wide range of community development needs in unique ways that fit each community.

CDBGs strive to ensure affordable and safe housing, provide services to the most vulnerable in each community, and create jobs through the expansion and retention of businesses.

Most CDBG projects present opportunities to incorporate healthy watershed projects like floodplain restoration, open-space preservation, bioretention, and other types of green infrastructure. Healthy watershed projects create jobs, reduce flood risk, and increase green-space which can increase recreation opportunities and improve community health.

Each year states develop funding priorities and criteria for selecting projects. In 2019, Missouri’s CDBG funding categories include:

1. General Infrastructure – improving local public infrastructure, streets, drainage, and bridges. Be sure to include green infrastructure (GI) projects when possible into the general infrastructure work proposed. Leveraging creative funding sources to achieve a broader solution is preferable.
2. Industrial Infrastructure – developing infrastructure that allows industries to locate, expand or prevent closing of local facilities. Grant can fund public streets, water or sewer lines, engineering or other public facilities needed to support the private sector project. Incorporate GI when possible.
3. Water/Wastewater – establish or improve local, publicly owned water or sewer systems.
4. Demolition – demolition of vacant, dilapidated or blighted structures, primarily residential, that present safety hazards. Owners are required to commit at least $500 of the demolition cost of their structure as match. Commercial structures require a 20% commitment. Could be used for clearing previously flooded properties to turn in to green space or restored floodplain.
5. Emergency – address unique conditions that pose serious and immediate threat to health and welfare of the community.
6. Disaster Recovery – available for Presidentially-declared disasters, to assist with long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure and economic revitalization.
7. Community Facilities – construct facilities that serve the public. Health and well-being programs (senior centers, day care, rural health clinics, telecommunication, 911 services, etc.) are priority. Incorporate GI as able.
8. Business Development – help communities grow and attract local business.

For most CDBG projects, 70%, or more, of the funds must be used for activities that benefit low- and moderate-income persons. Grantees must, also, develop and follow a detailed plan for citizen engagement, emphasizing participation by persons of low- to moderate-income.

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